Brothers
by Moonsp1r1t
Summary: A younger brother decides to mess with his elder brother while he tries to court a girl. One-shot.


**October 16th, 1469**

"_Paaaaadre!_" I complained, wandering down the halls of our home, heading towards my father's office, and pushing open his door without knocking first, "_Padre, _I'm-"

I stopped abruptly, seeing what he had on his desk next to him as he scratched down a letter with his quill. I rocked forward onto my toes, watching it, interested. "Is that a pigeon?" I blurted, still keeping my eyes on the bird. I found myself wondering how my dad managed to catch it, and why it was sitting so still, as if it were waiting patiently, on his desk.

My father sighed and rolled up the letter he was writing before attaching it to the creature. "_Mai vi occupate._" he said shortly, carrying the bird to an open window and thrusting it outside.

I watched it drop about a foot, startled by its sudden release, before taking flight and flying away. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was disappointed that my father didn't let me keep it as a pet, but if he could catch them so easily, maybe I could get one later.

My father sat back down at his desk and fixed me with a stare. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, right!" I said. The corner of my father's mouth lifted in mild amusement as I spoke. "_Padre,_ I'm bored. Will you play with me?"

My father sighed, his head swinging back to stare at the ceiling as if on a hinge before turning back to look at me. "If only that I could, _figlio mio._ I have too much work to do. Why don't you ask your brother to play with you?"

I pouted, my lower lip sticking out, my arms crossed around my chest. "I can't find him anywhere."

Father scratched his chin thoughtfully, a slight smirk on his face, "Well, I think he mentioned heading down to see Silvana."

I nodded vigorously to show that I understood. Silvana was the name of the girl he had been mooning over the last couple of months, and he had been flirting with her about every other day, if he got the chance. I had managed to follow him without being spotted a couple of times. Based on that information, I knew where he was at least likely to be.

"_Grazie, padre_." I said, flashing him a grin before running out of the room.

I ran through the halls of our home, and then onto the cobblestone of the streets in Firenze. I took every twist and turn, heading for the place where I knew my brother might be. Sure enough, as soon as I turned onto the street where Silvana lived, I spotted my elder brother leaning on the railing of a balcony over the girl, talking to her. I walked up next to Silvana and looked up at my brother.

"_Grande fratello, _will you play with me?" I interrupted, looking up at him, "I'm bored."

"_Va via._" he snapped, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

I scowled and crossed my arms over my chest, before turning towards the girl next to me. She was fairly pretty, wearing a long, dusk-colored dress with her black hair in a plait down her shoulder. She looked about my brother's age, so about thirteen or so. She was watching me curiously, a slight look of disdain that I could not explain on her face. Maybe she was irritated with my brother? Or she didn't like children? Maybe she just had one of those faces.

"You wouldn't want to date him." I said impulsively, staring her dead in the eye, "He still wets his bed. Every night." I added.

I watched as Silvana's expression transformed into one of mortification before she walked away, her nose in the air. I grinned back up at my elder brother, who's face had gone red with anger and embarrassment.

"You little _monello!_" he hissed.

"Now will you play with me?" I asked.

"I'm gonna get you!" he threatened, a note of amusement in his voice now.

"You'll have to catch me first!" I taunted, turning tail and running.

Behind me, my brother vaulted over the side of the balcony and rolled as he landed before chasing after me. I glanced over my shoulder and laughed at him, not caring in the slightest that he was gaining on me.

"Ezio!" Federico yelled.

I cackled again, shooting a glance back at him again just as he caught up with me. He grabbed me and pulled me into a headlock. I wiggled and squirmed in his grip, shrieking as he rubbed the top of my head.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!" I babbled, pushing myself free, "It won't happen again!"

Federico sighed and ruffled my hair. "Don't feel too bad. She was a _cagna_ anyways."

I cracked a smile at him, and he grinned at me. "Okay, brother."

"Come on, Ezio, lets go home." Federico said, giving me a light punch on the shoulder.

* * *

I tried to make the dialogue similar to the game by weaving Italian in there every now and then.

I knew that I wanted to do a sort of humor piece between Ezio and Federico, and I was struck with inspiration when I was practicing jumping off of things and doing rolls as I landed in parkour yesterday, and this was the result.

Federico is thirteen and Ezio is ten. :)


End file.
